Why am I so passionate about "at risk" teens and finding out what exactly that means?

Well, it seems that I continueally am encountering them. Not daily. But on a regular basis. Sometime I encounter them directly, sometimes I am introduced to them by others who know that I have a heart for them.

A few years ago I finally decided what I will do with my life. That is start a non-profit organization to work with "at risk" teens. It seems like there is such a need out there and such a reward in the results and inpact that can be made in helping a teen change their life for the better.
Starting a non-profit takes alot of time. Before you can even get a tax id number there are aton of decisions to be made and a ton a paper work to do. One of the decisions that has to be made is who, which group of "at risk" teens will we be aimed toward working with. "At risk" encompases a large group of teens.

• Sexually active teens
• Substance abusing teens
• Homeless/ familyless teens
• "Children now make up 27 percent -- the fastest growing segment--of the U.S. homeless population."
  

Naming these three areas just begins to scrach the surface of who "at risk" teens are.